Development of a 3D workspace shoulder assessment tool incorporating electromyography and an inertial measurement unit\u2014a preliminary study

Navid Aslani,Mihai Dupac,Siamak Noroozi,Richard Hartley,Philip Sewell,Philip Davenport

doi:10.1007/s11517-017-1745-4

Navid Aslani, Mihai Dupac + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-017-1745-4

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Abstract

Traditional shoulder range of movement (ROM) measurement tools suffer from inaccuracy or from long experimental setup times. Recently, it has been demonstrated that relatively low-cost wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors can overcome many of the limitations of traditional motion tracking systems. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a single IMU combined with an electromyography (EMG) sensor to monitor the 3D reachable workspace with simultaneous measurement of deltoid muscle activity across the shoulder ROM. Six volunteer subjects with healthy shoulders and one participant with a ‘frozen’ shoulder were recruited to the study. Arm movement in 3D space was plotted in spherical coordinates while the relative EMG intensity of any arm position is presented graphically. The results showed that there was an average ROM surface area of 27291 ± 538 deg2 among all six healthy individuals and a ROM surface area of 13571 ± 308 deg2 for the subject with frozen shoulder. All three sections of the deltoid show greater EMG activity at higher elevation angles. Using such tools enables individuals, surgeons and physiotherapists to measure the maximum envelope of motion in conjunction with muscle activity in order to provide an objective assessment of shoulder performance in the voluntary 3D workspace.Graphical abstractThe aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a single IMU combined with an electromyography (EMG) sensor to monitor the 3D reachable workspace with simultaneous measurement of deltoid muscle activity across the shoulder ROM. The assessment tool consists of an IMU sensor, an EMG sensor, a microcontroller and a Bluetooth module. The assessment tool was attached to subjects arm. Individuals were instructed to move their arms with the elbow fully extended. They were then asked to provide the maximal voluntary elevation envelope of the arm in 3D space in multiple attempts starting from a small movement envelope going to the biggest possible in four consecutive circuits. The results showed that there was an average ROM surface area of 27291 ± 538 deg2 among all six healthy individuals and a ROM surface area of 13571 ± 308 deg2 for the subject with frozen shoulder. All three sections of the deltoid show greater EMG activity at higher elevation angles. Using such tools enables individuals, surgeons and physiotherapists to measure the maximum envelope of motion in conjunction with muscle activity in order to provide an objective assessment of shoulder performance in the voluntary 3D workspace.

Highlights

The shoulder, and the glenohumeral joint, provides the largest range of motion in the human body
The assessment tool was attached to the arms of seven participants as they performed a series of arm movements covering the maximum range of motion they were able to provide
Azimuthal angle versus elevation angle of the arm movement in 3D space are plotted while EMG intensity of any arm position is presented by colour contours to quantify maximum reachable surface area of shoulder, maximum shoulder elevation in different planes separately and EMG activity of each section of the deltoid at any arbitrary orientation of shoulder

Summary

Introduction

The shoulder, and the glenohumeral joint, provides the largest range of motion in the human body. A healthy shoulder is expected to provide a certain amount of pain-free motion and strength. Shoulder disorders are the third most common location for a musculoskeletal problem, after knee and hip disorders [1]. Most common shoulder disorders can be divided into soft tissue disorders, articular injury or instability, and arthritis causing pain and motion loss leading to difficulties in performing daily activities [2–4]. Shoulder performance can be assessed objectively using different criteria such as the shoulder range of motion (ROM) and electromyography (EMG) at the shoulder muscles. Shoulder performance can be assessed by clinicians utilising questionnaires, such as the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH) [1]; Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) [5]; Simple Shoulder Test (SST) [6]; Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) [7]; and the Shoulder Disability Questionnaire (SDQ) [8]

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